Rales Fellow Erick Cohen Helps Rethink the Role of Data
Heidi Opdyke
- Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications, MCS
- Email opdyke@andrew.cmu.edu
- Phone 412-268-9982
As the Rales Fellows Program at Carnegie Mellon University carries out its second year, members of the inaugural cohort like Erick Cohen are already making an impact in their chosen industries.
Cohen set out to use data for positive social impact. Today, as a data engineer for fitness company Solidcore, he is combining a passion for health and wellness with data engineering expertise, helping the organization improve its technological infrastructure.
Through CMU’s Rales Fellows Program, Cohen earned a Master of Science in Data Analytics For Science degree (MS-DAS). The program was established in 2023 to support the world's next generation of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) leaders.
The Rales Fellows Program offers students full tuition, a stipend to cover living expenses, and mentorship and career guidance opportunities, made possible through the university’s partnership with the Norman and Ruth Rales Foundation. As the second cohort of Rales Fellows prepares to address a variety of challenges in STEM, Cohen is among the first group of Rales alumni who are rooting for the next class while taking their own next steps into industry.
Improving quality of life through data
Cohen first arrived at CMU with a bachelor’s degree in economics and international affairs from George Washington University, along with years of professional experience at companies like Deloitte.
Through the Rales Fellows Program, Cohen enrolled in MS-DAS, a joint effort between the Mellon College of Science, the Department of Statistics within the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC). The one-year program provides students with the skills they need to thrive in high-impact, data-driven environments.
“The MS-DAS program was such a great fit, because of its focus on scientific applications coupled with a well-rounded curriculum that exposed us to the broad nature of data science, software engineering and statistics,” Cohen said.
For Cohen, engaging with his field beyond the tech industry at Solidcore has created a unique and fulfilling opportunity. Every day, data is used to support the activities of organizations and professionals across industries. But the way in which it’s gathered, structured and presented, he said, can make the difference between success and failure.
“It's really about the basics,” he said. “Data often comes in very raw, unclean and in a format that's less than suitable for analysis. I'm making the pipelines, the automation, the steps that make it more efficient for that analysis to happen,” he said.
He also works to improve Solidcore's cloud infrastructure. "It's amazing to be able to use concepts I learned from my classes and apply them in industry. It makes me feel empowered to be the one that people look to in the organization for advice on code or processes. Not everybody has this opportunity to work with data on a large scale."
Contributing to Solidcore’s mission of helping people create their strongest selves, he said, is fulfilling. “I get to apply my skills to help people reach their goals both inside and outside of studios. It's a combination of learning, personal growth and helping this organization grow as well.”
A cohort and a community
While professional environments present different challenges than academic ones, he said, his time at Carnegie Mellon in the Rales Fellows Program helped him understand the importance of camaraderie.
Rales Fellows are provided housing and access to staff support during their time at CMU. “The fact that you're able to go to the Rales community space, even if it’s just poke your head in to ask a quick question, made an immeasurable difference. Everyone gets to know you and makes you feel welcomed in the community. I felt like it was a home away from home,” he said.
Communicating with other fellows, he said, was another part of the program he appreciated. While fellows often pursue courses of study in different fields, living and working in the same space lets them share personal experiences and advice beyond individual areas of expertise.
“It’s incredible, just because you feel that you're a part of something way bigger than yourself, and how much knowledge everybody has,” Cohen said. “I would look at other fellows from my year like Ola Owodunni and Maxwell Jones, people who are so talented in their fields. You hear them talk about their research and their curiosity, and you can bounce questions off of them to really initiate that curiosity and help each other out,” Cohen said.
An elevated experience
Erick Cohen stands in the Tepper Building following his graduation from CMU in 2025.
All of this, he said, gave him a comprehensive and secure experience in his education.
“There is not only the scholarship for someone to do a master's program, but the fact that there’s such a holistic process around it,” Cohen said. “It's not just, ‘Hey, we're going to give you money and then, good luck.’ What stood out to me was them saying, ‘We want this to be a lifelong thing. Before, during and after, you're really a part of this cohort and community.’”
Cohen said he didn’t think it would be possible to ever pursue a master’s degree, and the experience of doing so through Rales has encouraged him to keep an open mind, including for Ph.D. studies, in the future. And he said he’s rooting for the new round of Rales Fellows as they begin their own journeys, encouraging them to embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with being a Tartan.
“I had such a positive experience at CMU, which was only elevated because of Rales,” Cohen said. “I think the ability to interact with people that aren't just doing your master's program, but even students in undergrad, seeing and being surrounded by people who don’t just want to succeed, but they want to see you succeed — you're really transformed.”
